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Mixed Signals: NAB 1998: Will HDTV Finally Deliver?

Mar 1, 1998 12:00 PM, The Editors

As NAB '98 returns again this year to Las Vegas, comparisons will be inevitable between the gambling venue and the introduction of HDTV. Since the first showing of gear by Sony at NAB 1985, HD has probably had the longest "off-Broadway" development in video's short history. Of course, that's not to reduce the impact of other, more mainstream technologies that will demonstrate their vigorous growth at the show; the various DV camera formats and the acceptance of Windows NT are two of the more practical, day-to-day technologies to stake booth space at the show.

Over the past few years, the show has expanded to two halls, the Las Vegas Convention Center for the more traditional line-up and the Sands Convention Center for fast expanding MultiMedia World conferences and exhibits. Expect the attendance to top last year's 100,000 marker, with some 1,300 exhibitors. If you want last-minute information on the show, check the Web site at www.nab.org.

We'll start coverage with an extensive look at the dizzying variety of HDTV production gear already available, especially the first expense in many facilities budget-HD cameras. Check other sections, including digital audio consoles and nonlinear editing, for more looks at trends in HD developments at the show. Of course, that doesn't mean we've slighted graphics, animation, and storage-there's coverage on those ever changing areas, too.

DTV: Home of the Mixed Signals DTV-this fascinating amalgam of industrial policy, digital ingenuity and old video technology-is a vastly confusing issue that doesn't easily lend itself to odds-making. Las Vegas is, symbolically, the ideal site for its collective inauguration. Bettors beware, however: There are no true experts on what at this point is largely a theoretical environment, and one filled with opinions of all kinds, as well as formats, operating systems, pixels, aspect ratios, and a few compression schemes that don't match. See Windows NT take on the Mac, progressive battle interlaced, prosumer eat away at broadcast, and then, of course: the Main Event-a heavyweight's dream: HD versus NTSC (or now SDTV, Standard Definition TV).

Virtually everyone agrees: HD looks like a winner, but many people, perhaps the majority, believe it won't even show up for the match. Negative vibes echo from coast-to-coast. San Francisco-based consultant Dan Sokol emphatically insists: "There is no such thing as DTV; it's actually DNTSC. There's no pull-through and no push; nobody asked us guys in the middle. As soon as HDTV was made a voluntary step, it was not going to happen."

Sokol has a point even the die-hard advocates acknowledge. Ironically, the Grand Alliance compression scheme that gave the U.S. a lead over the Japanese analog HDTV system facilitated many options that thwart HD development, particularly the fracturing of a single channel's 6MHz signal into multiple channels. Networks are allowed to choose between simulcasting (SD and HD), requiring the use of the entire signal, or broadcasting a number of SD channels along with other data streams that could provide heretofore unrealized income, while delaying true HD transmission. What's the incentive to broadcast HD? Prettier pictures? Who's asking for them? More important, Who's going to pay for them?

Advertisers are moving slowly, if at all.

Phil Price, president/creative director at Click 3X, New York, explains, "In general, agency people are under such cost pressure. They can't see how their client will spend 30 percent more on HD. But it's going to be at least 25 percent more; there's 25 percent more bits. And for every four days of an NTSC project, add a day for HD."

The problems are daunting, but there is a formidable group of advocates, including Warner Bros., which has been shooting 16:9 and releasing DVD titles, CBS, NBC, The Tape House (New York), and Atlanta's Crawford Communications that are completing HD infrastructures as the equipment becomes available.

This transition, says Stan Baron, chairman of the ATSC-T3, and New York director of technology at NBC, will happen: "We will comply with the federal mandates; however, we advocate flexibility. We want to match the signal to the quality of the program's content. The question is: How can we provide a service with all the service the consumer is used to on both a local and network basis that is clean, seamless and meets their expectations? Not all the tools are in place yet."

What makes things excrutiatingly difficult is the CCIR 601 4:2:2 standard, which divided the traditional NTSC composite signal into one part luminance (that's the 4:, which is sampled at 13.5 MHz ) and two parts chrominance (2:2, which are both sampled at half that 13.5 MHz). Although technically not NTSC, 601 revived the NTSC infrastructure, allowing upconverted (line-doubled with certain enhancements) 525 SD to approximate HD quality. MPEG-2 algorithms further 601's efficacy by allowing 4:2:2 to be affordable, efficient, and high-quality, especially when utilizing the highest standards at the acquisition and telecine stages, which is why 35mm film is widely recommended as DTV-friendly.

There are, however, problems with SD video acquisition, which are only now being understood. Upconversion affects material in certain unpredictable ways; sometimes clear, crisp video imagery will reveal more inadequacies than a lower-quality camera. Those concerned with this issue should acquaint themselves with the lineup out of Snell & Wilcox, Middlesex, U.K., particularly the HD 5100 upconverter, which has been the workhorse in the U.S., making 601 look like HD. It outputs in 1125 at 74.25 MHz or 1250 at 72 MHz. Much broadcast material in the U.S. will be processed by this unit, or by its more recent updates.

Also, Ikegami offers the HVC-515 upconverter and the HVC-600 downconverter. Philips has an array of systems, including the 3150 and 3151 EZcast portable MPEG-2 units, the Compression System Manager and the DVS3112/2 video encoder.

The Philips Spirit DataCine film scanner has been, to date, one version of the ideal SD telecine (HD output is coming).

Meanwhile Cintel will be exhibiting its C-Reality telecine, offering 14-bit scanning resolution in three color channels with 2,048 pixels per line. Frame rates go from .01 fps to 30 fps.

Sony will show a multi-resolution telecine, incorporating three 2-million-pixel CCD arrays, an exposure control and primary color correction system, and optical picture stabilization that moves the light path, not the film, producing results equivalent to pin-regristration. Larry Thorpe, VP of acquisition systems for Sony, reports, "Our telecine scans at 4:4:4 RGB at 1,080 lines and produces an extraordinary signal-to-noise ratio."

Panasonic is also showing a unique prototype of a universal format converter, deliverable in 1999. David Wiswell, business manager for advanced TV at Panasonic, explains, "This is very enabling technology."

Now that the market, including ABC and Fox, is expressing more interest in progressive scan, is Panasonic going to move into 720P? Wiswell notes, "We've delivered 720P to Japan with the DVCPRO 52BP, and there is significant image improvement. But this is experimental. It depends on the marketplace. Some things don't make sense in 720P, including DVEs and production switchers."

The move towards HD is quicker than Wiswell expected: "It's coming a little faster than I thought it would. The acceptance of D-5 surprises even me. Right now it's moving real fast."

NTSC is still doing well. Wiswell concludes, "Most of what we sell this year will be NTSC. It's my opinion, and not the company's, that NTSC will last 10 more years."

Sony's Thorpe expects DTV to produce diversity at first: "I think broadcasters will go in different directions, but consolidate in three years." What they'll consolidate around is anyone's guess.

Many sources contacted for this story see the 601 standard lasting from five to 10 years. No one had the foggiest idea about what will replace it. Perhaps it will be scalable 4:4:4-the standard that's been utilized at high-end post houses for the past 10 years. At that point, the HD revolution will finally have caught up to the aesthetic purists; until then, DTV will be a tale of technical compromises, as NTSC-the rugged competitor that it is-will hang on for dear life.

You Gotta Have 'Em: HDTV Cameras While broadcasters and production companies continue to puzzle over their high-definition TV choices in picture array and scanning system, camera manufacturers are heading to NAB with the confidence that 1998 will be the year of decision. In many instances, they will be making the decision easier by offering cameras that cover many of the bases.

"People are still asking, 'Do we have to do this?'-and they do," asserts Tony Delp, Hitachi Denshi America's product manager for broadcast cameras. "Like other manufacturers, Hitachi will be showing cameras incorporating multiple alternatives. We and the other manufacturers know what we have to do," Delp states. "Now it's in the hands of the customers."

"Some customers say manufacturers should resolve the origination format issue," says Alan Keil, vice president of engineering for Ikegami Electronics USA, "and some say the government should, but it may ultimately be the users. At this point, I see a strong tendency to buy 16:9/4:3 switchable cameras. Many people feel they'll be viable for local TV and news applications, if not primetime programming."

Larry Thorpe of Sony holds, "Broadcasters and producers will start buying this year. We already see that beginning to happen, but not in large numbers." Sony HD cameras have been bought by CBS, KCTS Seattle, and WMVS Milkwaukee, he reports, and they have been producing test programming to support the first HD transmissions.

Philips Digital Video Systems has sold a number of its Dynamic Pixel Management (DPM) switchable cameras to stations, networks, sports trucks and production vans, notes Greg Pine, VP, commercial operations-cameras, but these have mostly been bought as insurance. He adds that some productions have been shot in 16:9 for archival purposes and then cropped.

Observing a growing interest in 16:9, he points out that in actual HD production, "Financially, the standards will have to sort themselves out because the cost of HDTV cameras and production equipment is 2 1/2-3 times that of NTSC. We offered the first 1,080-line interlace camera in 1994 but, other than by people working on standardization, there's been no real usage." Pine holds that an enhanced standard-definition format in 525/480 (480 active lines and 525 total lines) progressive will be financially viable. For widescreen production, he notes, this provides a 50 percent improvement in vertical resolution. For evolving into HD, he recommends a stepping-stone approach, considering that HD requires an entire change in plant. The first step, he says, is to start out with 480-line progressive. In the year 2000, he adds, it's advisable to follow through with 720-line progressive, "which makes as good a picture as 1,080-line interlaced."

With its KH-100 HDTV camera available nearly two years ago at $62,000, JVC Professional Products Co. has sold it to production houses specializing in HD, government users, and for medical applications-where standardization has not been an issue, according to Dave Walton, marketing communications manager. He notes, though, that a milestone in the marketplace was achieved last December when KITV, Honolulu, became the first fully licensed HDTV station on the air. It's ready for transmission as soon as its network, ABC, has the HD programming.

He sees the likelihood of broadcasters adopting different standards for different types of programming. "Audiences could be watching a daytime show on 525-line progressive and primetime movie or the Super Bowl on 1,080 interlaced," he observes.

Walton also points out, "The camera is only the beginning of the chain. There is no camera where you can flip a selector switch and get all the standards. That's possible in the future, but it's not now economically feasible. My real advice to the person shooting is to assess what your market needs today and try to buy a system that provides the highest performance at the best price. It's hard to justify spending $50,000-$60,000 on a digital camcorder today with a lot of questions still on your mind." He adds that 4:3/16:9 aspect ratio switchable camera are in demand now but that few users are actually switching into the 525-line interlace, 16:9 mode. "It's just a comfort factor," he holds.

Burned once in Europe, Thomson is taking a cautious approach in the U.S., according to Thierry Long, president of Thomson Broadcast, Inc. "If the market is here," he says, "we may be one of the camera providers, but we don't want to make the same mistakes in the U.S. that we made in the European market."

No longer selling HD cameras in Europe, the Thomson executive notes that his firm, Philips, and TV set manufacturers attempted to make HD a success there, but the European marketplace not only couldn't agree on a standard but also lost interest. He notes 16:9 digital can be seen on more than 40 European channels. HD has been confined to theatrical showings of major events like World Cup Soccer.

Meanwhile, Panasonic Broadcast & Digital Systems Co. is committed to offering broadcasters the ultimate in flexibility in DTV systems, says Dave Wiswell. "Broadcasters must make critical equipment choices," he says, "and Panasonic believes that by offering support of all ATSC standard video formats, we can offer truly innovative and efficient DTV approaches."

At NAB, Panasonic will be showing a studio camera, a portable, and two camcorders that each incorporates multiple capabilities. The AK-HC880 studio camera and its companion AK-HC830 portable have parallel 1,125-line HD and 525-line interlace outputs. Panasonic also has plans to include a 1,080-line interlace version of these cameras in the future. These two cameras have not been priced yet and are expected to be available next fall. Both cameras feature three 2/3-inch, 2-million-pixel M-FIT CCD imagers to deliver the full HD bandwidth.

In camcorders, Panasonic was to be ready for delivery by NAB time with 525-line models of DVCPRO cameras. The progressive model, the AJ-PD900W, lists at $46,900, and the interlace AJ-D900W sells for $39,900.

Sony's Thorpe reports, "We've designed our cameras to be multipurpose, and they can address most of the formats." Sony started delivery in January of its HDC-700 studio camera, fully outfitted at $143,000, and companion HDC-750 studio-portable, fully outfitted at $119,000.

Both cameras operate on the same principle. "They connect by fiber optic cable to their CCUs (camera control units) via digital fiber transmission," he notes. "In the CCU, we complete the processing of the high-definition video and deliver at the CCU output three outputs of high-definition serial digital interface (SDI). Also inside the CCU, we digitally downconvert the high-definition video to a standard-definition TV 525-line signal. You have the option of having 480-line interlace, or, with an optional plug-in board, you can downconvert to 480-line progressive scan." This amounts to one choice of HDTV and a choice of interlace or progressive in standard definition.

"Broadcasters are definitely going to go in different directions, and this addresses that," Thorpe holds. "Some broadcasters may do both high-definition and standard-definition."

Expected to be available for delivery by NAB time was the HDW-700 camcorder, listing at $90,000. With the camera shooting and recording in digital HDTV, it works with the HDW-500 editing VTR, priced at $79,000. The VTR is structured like the CCUs of the HDC-700 and 750, providing the same choices when the cassette is placed in it. Available since January, at $25,000, is a miniature HD point-of-view camera, the DXC-H10, offering the same format choices as the other cameras.

All of the Sony cameras are currently in 1,035-line interlace but will be available approximately next fall in 1,080-line. There will also be upgrade kits, as yet unpriced, to go from 1,035 to 1,080.

Philips was readying for introduction of a 480-line digital TV camera that is switchable both in aspect ratio and between progressive and interlace. With no model number or pricing concluded at press time, it had the working name of DTVCam, according to Pine. Mid-year delivery was anticipated.

"It will use the existing digital CCIR 601 infrastructure," he notes. "That's important, because if you have a digital plant in place, it requires no additional investment." He also notes Philips' LDK-20 series of 16:9 NTSC cameras can be upgraded from interlace to progressive.

Hitachi will demonstrate at NAB a studio and a portable camera that convert from HD in 1,080-line interlace down to standard-definition in 4:3 or 16:9. The portable SK-3000P, costing about $140,000, was shown at the last NAB as a prototype. Delp says it uses two megapixels in each of three CCDs. With the camera running constantly in 16:9 HDTV, this is brought down from the camera head to the base station via optical fiber in digital form. It is converted there to standard-definition 4:3 or 16:9.

Shown for the first time will be the SK-3000 studio camera, which shares the same characteristics and will sell for approximately $155,000. Delivery of the cameras is anticipated for June or July.

Walton says JVC will have a new 525-line interlace switchable camera ready for NAB, with price and delivery yet to be determined at press time. Its KH-100, a 1,080-line interlace camera, records in HDTV only. Walton notes this $62,000 camera uses less expensive lenses than some of the earlier HDTV cameras that cost more than $300,000.

At Ikegami, Keil reports final NAB plans for HD cameras had not been completed at press time. There were plans to at least show a lineup of HD cameras with significant revisions including digital signal processing in both studio and portable cameras.

Ikegami's line of 1,125-line interlace cameras includes the HDK-790 studio camera, not sold in the U.S. to date but shown as a prototype last year. A U.S. version, under a different designation, was to be shown at the upcoming NAB. Keil says the DSP camera with digital downconversion will have the full complement of analog and digital outputs and will be switchable to 4:3 standard definition. Along with its portable companion, so far known as the HDL-79, it will be available in the third quarter, he notes. They were to be priced at $240,000 and $210,000 respectively.

The compact, three-CCD HDL-37 will be available with a new DSP CCU around April. Measuring 2.8 x 4.1 x 4.3 inches, the $103,100 camera is intended for point-of-view, helicopter-mount, and graphics applications.

Another POV camera, the HDL-10, at $42,700, will see no changes from last year's NAB. The single-CCD HD camera measures 1.6 x 1.2 x 2.4 inches. In addition to its interlace models, Ikegami has progressive-scan DSP cameras in a studio and portable model. These are the HK-525 at $155,000 and HK-525P at $140,000, both currently available.

3-D, Animation, and Graphics Gain Speed, Ease-of-Use: Workstations Just Get Faster For animators, NAB '98 will see the growing influence of products and hardware developed for NT. The Wintel collaboration continues to drive the pace of development in the effects and animation industry and with the announcement of an NT version of Alias's Maya and a Silicon Graphics workstation based on an Intel processor, competing platforms and hardware companies are in a response mode. SGI has a new, speedier MIPS processor for the mid-range Octane and will be showing workstations and graphic options with big performance advances over their already very fast offerings.

Digital Equipment (DEC) continues to push its Alpha chip technology (now up to 600 MHz) on its flavor of Windows NT. DEC has supported a number of software companies in their efforts to port from one version of NT to the other, but will also show networks consisting of the two flavors working together, including Kinetix's 3D Studio MAX. Other companies showing product in the booth include MetaCreations, Macromedia, Avid, Softimage, NewTek, Discreet Logic, Altavista, and MicroAge. Besides promised new partnership announcements, DEC will also demo new video compositing and asset management tools.

However, at press time, the announced acquisition of DEC by Compaq had just been made. Compaq, it seems, is mostly interested in DEC's considerable UNIX presence in the business world. Will Compaq, a company known for its aggressive push for market share, support the relatively minor presence of the Alpha chip?

New screamingly fast workstations from graphic-savvy manufacturers like Intergraph and NeTpower are being joined by workstations from consumer/business box providers like Dell, Compaq and IBM. This will bring intense competition to the high end. For super interactivity, check out Intergraph's TDZ 2000 with RealiZm II 3D Graphics using DirectBurst technology. Intergraph will also be announcing new enhancements for their StudioZ workstation for Softimage/DS including, hardware add-ons and software plug-ins. There will also be new additions to the StudioZ line, including the StudioZ T-RAX 3D media workstation, that combine top 3-D power and uncompressed serial digital video on a single workstation.

Price cuts are part of the announcement for Intergraph, with other makers in the fiercely competitive Intel/Alpha market sure to follow. In January, Intergraph announced cuts from 19 to 33 percent on its line of TDZ and TD workstations. That brings a dual-processor 300 MHz Pentium II TDZ 2000 (with 128 MB RAM, RealiZm II ZX13 graphics card and 9.1GB drive) down to an estimated street price of $9,095.

NeTpower's top-of-the-line SYMETRA3 series workstations will highlight the latest in AGP graphics boards (Advanced Graphics Port is Intel's most recent hardware change to squeeze speed improvements from PCI-style boards). Another trend that makes the "desktop revolution" start to look more like the more traditional post layout is the advent of rack-mounted gear. Let's get those towers off the floor! The company's SYMETRA3 RAQ moves hardware into standard 19-inch racks, gaining a more expandable frame in the bargain. Also check out the 333 MHz Pentium II lineup of SYMETRA and CALISTO workstations.

However, the company sees a new market in distance learning, and has developed both software and hardware to address video streaming applications. For that, NeTpower will be previewing second-generation hardware, including a video streaming server and workstation.

NeTpower is also working with Radius to deliver the first Windows NT-based product that enables accurate color matching for Adobe Photoshop. Radius will provide its PressView SR Reference Display System for use on NeTpower's Pentium II-based workstations.

At press time, Silicon Graphics was not able to provide specifics about product at the show. However, with "The Power of Digital" their theme for NAB, the company is expected to demonstrate set-ups, including those from third parties, to "facilitate customers' transitioning to produce and protect content now for distribution in multiple formats from high-definition digital television to low-bandwidth video for the Web."

Product areas that seem to offer new content include editing and composition, with demonstrations by Interactive Effects, Discreet Logic, Avid, and Lightning Bird. The growing digital news category will utilize Origin servers for tape archive replacement (logging, browsing, cataloging and searching digitized news clips and other content with product from Virage and other third parties) and digital news editing (commercial insertion, multichannel playout and news editing). There will even be Octane and Onyx2 platforms showing integrated solutions for broadcast graphics for news and sports.

High-end Animation & 3-D Software (Even If It Costs Less) As the digital video revolution takes hold, special effects software is becoming more common, easier to use, more innovative, and less expensive. These programs are typically available both for the Macintosh and the PC. Whether it be 3-D animation, titling, explosions, morphing, or rotoscoping, you can quickly find an application, plug-in, or filter that will fit your needs.

NAB 1998 is a kick-the-tire show for anyone interested in high-end 3-D animation software. With the really big releases of 3D Studio MAX R2 and Alias/Maya having taken place before this year's NAB, animators can expect to see numerous smaller announcements for features and upgrades targeted for Siggraph and beyond.

Alias|Wavefront's Maya is the really big news this winter. Literally years in the making, Maya is the culmination of ideas extracted from Wavefront, PowerAnimator and TGI. This is not a product that is evaluated quickly, and animators will want to leave time to explore the product at the Alias booth. Be sure to look into MEL, Maya's embedded script language. This powerful tool gives the animator or Tech director access to all parts of the program permitting total customization of the interface as well as extensions of tools and processes.

Alias will also show Zap!iT, a real-time, uncompressed video and audio software engine (works in conjunction with Alias products). Zap!iT offers captures video and audio in real-time directly to the desktop, keeping the files separate for easy manipulation. The product was designed as a cost-effective method to streamline workflow of animated work-in-progress that needs to be frequently checked. Playback of ITU-R 601 files as well as AIFF/AIFC audio files happens in real-time with no need to convert image files into movie files. Since playback is from disk, not memory, there's not the usual free memory limitation on file size.

ElectricImage and Lightwave continue to provide serious tools (at very different price points) for Mac users. ElectricImage will be showing version 2.8, which is one of their most significant upgrades in several years. The long list of new features includes: a function curve editor, bones, new texture mapping options, object morphing, depth of field rendering and displacement maps. They will also be showing innovative documentation-a manual written by top animators who are intimately familiar with the software from in-the-trenches experience.

While Kinetix 3D Studio MAX R2 has been out for six months, the depth and power of the new release is still big news. R2 can stand up to comparisons with any other 3-D software on the market and is the affordable choice for boutique effects shops and individuals. According to Kinetix, 3D Studio MAX and its predecessors have more seats in use than any other 3-D program. There are more plug-ins for 3D Studio then any other product on the market, and NAB '98 will see many new ones. One important introduction: plug-in Character Studio 2.0, (the 3-D animation tool that includes BIPED and Physique), adds motion capture capability.

Character Studio is also behind the Web-based following that's developed around Dancing Baby, created for Kinetix by Unreal Pictures. The gyrating, diaper-clad infant was originally drawn as an example of the advanced character animation capabilities of 3D Studio. Now it's become a sort of cult on the Web; there's over a dozen variations of the kid available. That response intrigued the producers of Fox Broadcasting's Ally McBeal enough that they included the character in fantasy sequences within two episodes of the show.

Whether they have the technology ready for the show, look for NewTek's. Lightwave is 3D Studio's only rival in the under 3K price point (Lightwave is less than half the price of Max R2) and Lightwave has clearly been accepted as a Hollywood-approved piece of software after a few rebel efforts for television series: Babylon 5, Deep Space 9, and Hercules. Film credits include Titanic, Flubber, The Fifth Element, and Contact. Lightwave is now in Version 5.5. This 3-D animation and effects program started out on the Amiga, but is now available for all platforms. At $1,400, it is a great buy. Plug-ins are plentiful for this product, so don't be worried about impressing that client.

Changes in 5.5 include a new user interface, volumetric rendering, facial animation tools, particle systems, scripting, and over 100 new features. The booth will also showcase many of the third-party plug-in applications as well as a New Technology area to present new and upcoming products.

Side Effects' Houdini will show Version 2.5, the latest in the Toronto-based company's 3-D animation software. Houdini is based on the 10 years of development that went into PRISMS, the previous product. (PRISMS earns its four developers a Technical Academy award this year.) Houdini has gained its reputation for its flexibility, openness, and feature integration (DreamWorks, Sony Imageworks, and Blue Sky/VIFX are among the users).

Improvements in V 2.5 include new character animation features and special effects tools. CHOPs (CHannel OPerators) is a set of tools to edit and combine motion, manipulate motion capture data in a non-destructive fashion, and apply facial animation with lip synch. Unique to a 3-D product are audio editing and 3-D audio synthesis. Also check out POPs (Particle OPerators). POPs allows the building of sophisticated particle effects without having to write scripts or type expressions. The click-drag-and-connect interface means particle operators can be networked to create flocking, splashes, spawning, collisions,and chasing behaviors.

Another introduction of note: Houdini's appearance on Windows NT. While it is expected to price the same as the IRIX (i.e., SGI) version, licensing changes have been made to allow the three platforms (IRIX, Intel NT, Alpha NT) to use the same key. The key can "float" between the three as needed, which means an easier working method for shops with mixed gear.

Softimage will be showing Softimage/DS, their tightly integrated D-1, paint, compositing, and editing solution. Out only a few months, DS remains one of the most innovative of the new high-end/low-entry price finishing tools. Using a unified interface for what is usually a modular software approach to postproduction, DS is being shown with new hardware options.

Rounding Up Graphics Hardware, Unique Graphics Products, and Cost-Effective Software

Adobe's suite of products include Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and Premiere. All are available for the Macintosh as well as the PC, and all are file compatible. Photoshop 4.0 is best friend for many a media producer. If you can't do it with Photoshop, there is probably a plug-in filter that can. With its myriad built-in effects, it can be used for creating anything from a title to a lens flare. If you saw Kennedy speak in Forrest Gump, you were seeing a Photoshop-enhanced effect. Illustrator 7.0 is the latest iteration of this vector-drawing program, widely prized by the graphic industry. Use this program to draw elements that can be can't be easily created directly in Photoshop.

After Effects 3.1 is like Photoshop in motion. The program has become a "must-have" for the video industry. Although it may take time to do final rendering, it can do anything the expensive compositing tools can do. Meanwhile, Premiere was one of the first digital video editors. Version 4.2 has been optimized for NT, and is often included with video capture hardware. Like Adobe's other products, it is solid, and is available with many plug-ins. This program is aging, however, so look for version 5.0 to come out soon.

Adobe's After Effects has gained a rep as one of the most flexible tools for use in compositing, 2-D animation and special effects creation. While still a reasonably priced product, After Effects now gains added capabilities with free plug-ins (check Adobe's Web site) that allow import/export to Cineon, JPG, and SGI formats.

Although Kodak has announced its exit from the Cineon product, the company is expected to sell it to a party interested in keeping the high-end format available. The Cineon Format plug-in imports/exports FIDO and DPX files (three-channel, 10-bit-per-pixel images), with interactive control over conversion parameters. The JPEG file format is offered mainly for the smaller file sizes that make for easier distribution of movies and files on the Web. Besides the SGI I/O plug-in, there's a Cross Platform Movie plug-in that runs on the Power Macintosh to create single fork or "flattened" movies for playback (QuickTime for Windows only s

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